


reformation

by Cloudnine101



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Children, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 13:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6155680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudnine101/pseuds/Cloudnine101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"You know, there is a special circle of Hell reserved for nosy children," Lucifer says.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Trixie stares at him. "Is that why you're looking in mummy's underwear drawer?"</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	reformation

_1_

"You know, there is a special circle of Hell reserved for nosy children," Lucifer says.

Trixie stares at him. "Is that why you're looking in mummy's underwear drawer?"

Lucifer sighs. He tries another tack. "I lost something in there. Does that satisfy you?"

For a moment, Trixie considers. "What was it?"

Lucifer sighs _again_. Not for the first time, he thinks about throwing the brat out of the nearest passing plane. He looks down. Trixie's peering up at him with the sort of concern usually only avoided to the deathly ill. "It doesn't matter. Run along, now. Shoo."

"Was it a watch?" Trixie asks. "I'm good at finding watches. I reached down the sofa back to get mummy's back, and she'd been looking for it for days. And this other time, daddy's car keys disappeared, and I got them out of mummy's bag for him, and she said - "

Best to stem the flow here and now, Lucifer thinks, with a burst of frenzied determination, or else he'll be here until the end of time itself. "Yes," he says, "how fascinating."

"So, what is it?" Trixie says, and tilts her head to one side, a slow, gormless grin spreading across her face. "Are you two - ?"

"No. Nothing like - fine. Fine! You win. Your mother once mentioned to me," Lucifer grits out, throwing up his hands, "that she owned a journal. I'm somewhat interested in its contents. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to return to finding it, which is a far more gainful pursuit than engaging in conversation with you. You're obviously completely useless."

"Oh, you mean mummy's diary." Trixie smiles. "I know where that is."

Lucifer stops. "You do?" he says. "Where?"

He's been around the room for times already this afternoon alone - yesterday, he'd gone over the downstairs floor with a fine-toothed comb. There's no other space in the house. And women often keep things in - intimate places, don't they?

Trixie's smiling. "I'll tell you," she says, "if you watch a movie with me."

"No."

Trixie turns around. She's wearing some sort of ballet skirt which floats around her thighs. It's almost offensively pink. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Wait," Lucifer says - yells, almost. He kneels down on the carpet. It's going to make his knees ache in the morning. "This is very important to me. Why don't you be a good girl and make yourself useful?"

"So you _are_ watching the film?" Trixie says.

On the one hand, over an hour snuggled in a blanket with this particular little wretch. On the other hand, Chloe's diary, and all the secrets contained within. Oh, Trixie is devious. He couldn't have done it better himself.

Lucifer forces a smile, or an approximation of one. "Of course," he says. "Shall we?"

_2_

"Don't tell me she's seriously considering choosing that Gaston asshole," Lucifer says, leaning forwards. "Look at the prince! He's got a castle! Who _wouldn't_ want that?"

"Also, he's a meanie."

Lucifer shrugs. "That, too." He settles himself back down, and reaches out for more popcorn. "This bowl is empty."

Trixie arches a brow. "What are you gonna do about it?"

In the background, the plucky young heroine is getting chucked down a set of stairs.

Lucifer stares. "I am the Lord of Hell," he says. "I do not make scheming children popcorn."

"You're not a Lord of Hell. Mummy says you're delusional." Trixie whispers the last word, blinking up at him. "That means you think you're more important than you are."

More important? More _important_? _Who_ could be more important than _him_? Aside from Dad, obviously, but that's not the point!

"Your mummy," Lucifer says, "isn't always right. In fact, in this case, she's entirely wrong."

Trixie's forehead furrows. "If you come from Hell, where's your tail?"

"I don't have one," Lucifer says. "Horns, yes. Tail, no. You humans have always had a taste for the melodramatic."

Trixie nods. "Right," she says. She's quiet for a whole after that, until the song about knocking down the door comes in, when she buries her head in Lucifer's shoulder and begins to whimper. She'd thrown herself around him quite suddenly. Lucifer didn't have the time to shove her off. "Sit still. You're comfy." Trixie adjusts herself.

Lucifer pats her head. "There, there," he gets out.

Trixie's bony little hands dig into his arms. "Daddy never has the time to cuddle me anymore. He has to go and do work things. He missed Taco Tuesday." Trixie's hold tightens further still. "He never smiles anymore."

Lucifer feels himself grow colder. "Does he not," he says, and smiles himself.

_3_

It doesn't take much to find Detective Dan. He's sitting in his silly cop car, on a stakeout, apparently. There's a packet of uncooked food in the front seat. Lucifer yanks the door open and pulls him out. Dan falls onto the ground. He hits it hard.

Lucifer grabs his chin with one hand and makes him look up. "What would it take," he says, "to make you visit your daughter? What am I going to have to do to you, hm? Shall I remove your fingernails? No, no - I want you to be in one piece for her. I think I'll just hit you a little. While that be alright?"

Dan's eyes flash from side to side. His jaw remains tight. He's stubborn - defiant - brave - foolish. So very, very foolish. "I want to see her," he's saying, "but Chloe and I are breaking up. It's - I don't want - I'm not going to be there all the time, and she's just - she'll have to get used to it. This doesn't have to be any harder than it already is."

Lucifer squeezes. Dan cries out.

"How dare you," Lucifer says. "If I wasn't entirely certain you weren't the most miserable beetle ever to crawl across the earth, this would solidify my opinion."

Dan makes a good show of trying to shrug him off. Lucifer knows better. Dan's shaking with fear - sweating with it.

"You try having a kid," he says, "you try being a father, and let me know how you do. I love Trixie more than anything else in this life. Have you ever loved anybody, Lucifer? Huh? Do you even have it in you to care?"

Lucifer lets go. Dan crawls backwards across the ground, coughing. He wipes the blood off his lips.

"You're right," Lucifer says. "I don't have a child. But I can love. I'll prove it to you. I'll prove it to _all_ of you."

Dan stands. He hoists himself to his feet, eyes narrowed. "Love isn't about proving anything. It's about doing what's right." Dan brushes down his coat. It doesn't look like it's keeping him warm. "If you're not gone in five seconds, I swear to God, I'm gonna call you in, demon ninja bartender or no."

Lucifer can't fight down his grin. "Oh, Maze got to you, did she?"

Dan scowls. "You could say that, yeah."

_4_

"You look like Hell turned cold," Maze says, sliding a drink across the bar.

Lucifer toys with it. "Have you ever been in love?" he asks.

Maze shakes her head. "Never. Why? Are you?" She says it jokingly, but her face has frozen. She's thinking of Chloe, Lucifer knows. "You're becoming more human, Lucifer. You can't allow whatever you might be feeling now to cloud your judgment."

"I'm not," Lucifer says, "and it isn't about Detective Decker, although she is the most scrumptious little thing. I'm speaking of young Trixie."

Maze frowns. "The daughter?" she says. "Why? I thought you said she was a brat."

"She was," Lucifer says. "I changed my opinion."

Maze takes the glass back. She drinks it, her long throat bobbing. "Well," she murmurs, "isn't that something."

_5_

It truly is a dingy establishment, all things considered. Lucifer thinks it could benefit from the assistance of a liberal dose of air freshener. Making his way between the tables, he manages to avoid the couple canoodling in the back corner by the narrowest of margins.

"Lucifer," Chloe hisses, as he approaches, "what are you doing here?"

She's standing up straight and facing him, arms folded across her chest. She's shielding Trixie, who's beaming. "Hey, Lucifer."

Lucifer waves. "Why," he says, "it's Taco Tuesday! I was invited. Your daughter as good as said I should come along."

Chloe turns around. Lucifer can picture her expression all too well. Trixie is remarkably unfazed. She starts humming around her mouthful, chubby cheeks working.

"May I sit?" Lucifer asks.

"Please, please, please." Trixie's turned a startling shade of red. "Please, mummy, please. He'll be really, really good."

"Oh, I'm not sure about that." Lucifer flashes her a wink. Trixie giggles.

Chloe's teeth are bared. "Okay," she snaps, "sit down, Lucifer."

Lucifer draws out his coat. He flaps it around the back of the stool, making it clap, and Trixie laughs again. Lucifer's starting to rather enjoy himself, despite Chloe's sour mood. When her back is turned to say something to the waitress, Lucifer makes one of the napkins flutter around Trixie's head. Trixie reaches out to catch it, eyes wide. The napkin drops, and that's all Chloe sees, and she looks at Lucifer. She looks at Lucifer, and her face is soft. She looks at Lucifer.

"I really will be good," Lucifer says, after a beat. "Promise."

Chloe rolls her eyes. On the other side of the table, Trixie's making heart shapes with her hands.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! you can find me @muckymagician on tumblr


End file.
